2 Responses to Next Bike Party: JULY 9, 8PM

Hurrah for this new event! A new paradigm to help get more folks out on bikes, one of the most important things we can do..

Just an FYI, July 9 is also the regular original East Bay Critical Mass (Berkeley Critical Mass) which has occurred on that date (second Friday each month) for over 17 years (!). It gathers starting at 5:30 on, to leave after 6 PM, from the Downtown Berkeley BART plaza. Last month we had Bike Prom, replete with fancy dresses and tuxedos, prom music, and an ice cream soiree at the end of the Berkeley pier near sundown.

Given the timing, it’s possible for folks to do both rides! I encourage those who wish to do so to announce the Bike Party and have the Berkeley ride meet it at its start point.

A little bit of bicycle history:

Incidentally, July 9 is also an important date in EBCM history; on its 5th ride in 1993, over 100 bicyclists and skateboarders rode on I-80. At that time there was a lawsuit and ongoing protests against the widening of the (un)freeway there, which provided the context and reason for the takeover. Traffic was minimally impacted. However, the police reacted with a great deal of overkill and arrested some 63 persons who had peacefully begun regrouping on the University Overpass, and later released a huge report with cold war language about this new bicycle happening. The ride would have fared better if it had ridden on to the Bay Bridge.

Since that time, local advocates including the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition (BFBC.org, a member group of EBBC) succeeded in a 9+ year campaign to correct the historic barrier of the University Overpass, by building a new signature bridge to the marina. However, the overpass still prohibits bicycling which for some strong cyclists would be the clear and preferred route, despite the danger of the on and off ramps. CalTrans claims that had Berkeley designated a bike route on University, they would have provided equal access on the original overpass when it was built, a weak excuse for denying access for generations.

Regarding the relationship of EBCM to EB Bike Party: the difference between the two is clear and the new approach is commendable. A recent community meeting of riders found much interest in creating new paradigms such as Bike Party to help more people feel welcome to ride. Although EBCM is not a confrontational ride, and enjoys a lot of public support, there need to be new venues for public participation, all the way up to large permitted road closures such as Oaklavia (yes!), Sunday Streets, etc., to get everyone everyone everyone familiar with and feeling welcome to ride a bicycle on our streets. Cheers to EBBP for making more of that happen!